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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



ber cf years of his life to acquiring their 

 language and observing their customs and 

 their prejudices, and who would make it 

 his first care to treat them like human 

 beings rather than savages (which, dis- 

 tinctly, they are not), or like beasts of 

 burden. They are not emancipated yet 

 from their martyrdom of centuries; since 

 Bartolome de las Casas they have had no 

 protector. The republic has done nothing 

 for the Indian, yet they are the finest 

 stock in the country and in them lies the 

 future of Guatemala. 



To help him the student will find many 

 treasures in the government archives and 

 valuable historical documents in private 

 collections. Much has found its way out 

 of the country, and it is to be hoped that 

 it is in the hands of some one who will 

 realize the importance to history of these 

 old manuscript books and records and 

 will give it to the world. 



The climate during the dry season (on 

 the high plateaus, from October or No- 

 vember to March) is delightful ; the high 

 mountain valleys, pine and corn clad, 

 with their soft-toned, well-shaded vil- 

 lages and towns ; the true hospitality and 

 gentleness of the people (once one has 

 gained their confidence and affection) 

 make an ideal setting for a winter's work. 



The roads are only navigable for bul- 

 lock-carts, it is true, but a mule or a 

 good native pony will pass anywhere, in 

 spite of bottomless ruts and spring holes. 

 With a good animal, road traveling in 

 Guatemala is, in my experience, unsur- 

 passed for beauty except by the moun- 

 tain paths of Korea. 



There is also a dry season on the coast 

 of which advantage may be taken, and 

 will be taken, I hope, for several years 

 to come, to complete the Quirigua work. 

 When the mud has dried and the ever- 

 vigorous underbrush has been cut from 

 the park surrounding the monuments, a 

 few weeks spent among them is not only 

 not dangerous, but not unpleasant and 

 would certainly be immensely profitable. 



e;xploring, but in touch with 

 civiuzation 



As I have attempted to point out, the 

 student is not lost in primeval jungle, but 

 works near a camp which is the center 

 and headquarters of the United Fruit 

 Company's operations. He has but to; 

 follow their axemen every morning as; 

 they open new territory, and is at all 

 times within easy range of tobacco, clean 

 linen, magazines, good food, and, at the-, 

 worst, of pills, American doctors, and 

 hospitals. 



With the cooperation of the govern- 

 ment of Guatemala lies open to the In- 

 stitute a work of vast importance to 

 American archeology, under conditions — 

 I was about to say- — of luxury, and I 

 think that the expression is well justified 

 if comparison be made with any other 

 American work of this character. 



Nothing should be spared, in funds or 

 men, to make Mr. Hewett's undertaking 

 a complete success and establish the work 

 in Guatemala upon as permanent a basis, 

 as that of San Juan Teotihuacan, in 

 Mexico. 



